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August 16, 2012

Congress Members Urge Reasonable Price for Gilead’s Quad

Fourteen members of Congress are urging Gilead Sciences to maintain a reasonable price for its soon-to-be-approved “Quad” containing elvitegravir, cobicistat, tenofovir and emtricitabine, according to an August 1 letter sent to the Foster City, California-based drugmaker. The congressional lawmakers are concerned that Gilead will charge as much as $34,000 for the fixed-dose combination tablet, putting additional strain on state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs). This price, they note, would be 38 percent more than the cost of Atripla and would have a detrimental impact on ADAP, as purchasing drugs represents 85 percent of its costs. The letter concludes: “It is our sincere hope that Gilead will support our nation’s ADAP by considering sustainable HIV/AIDS drug pricing in the commercial market—particularly for the Quad—as well as supplemental price reductions and rebates, that bolster the ability of ADAPs nationwide to provide lifesaving drugs to all those in need.”

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